Justin Timberlake Consoles Fans at London Show After England's World Cup Defeat

The singer hands out shots of alcohol to his dancers and musicians, encouraging members of the audience to join him in raising a glass.

Jul 13, 2018

AceShowbiz -
Justin Timberlake consoled his fans during a London concert on Wednesday night (July 11) following England's defeat in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The "Cry Me a River" singer cancelled his support act and pushed back the start time of his "Man of the Woods" Tour gig at the O2 Arena to screen the big game to fans but was left with a deflated crowd when the team was defeated 2-1 by Croatia in extra time.

Keen to lift his fans' spirits, the popstar tried to remedy the situation by handing out shots of alcohol to his dancers and musicians, encouraging members of the audience to join him in raising a glass.

"Three Lions won my heart over and I am gutted," he shared with a cheering crowd. "I am gutted! So, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna have a drink.

"We're all gonna drink," he continued. "Hold on a second there's a lot of us, takes a second to pass these out."

With all of his band members suitably topped up, the SexyBack singer held his glass aloft and gave a rousing toast celebrating England's efforts.

"Here's to my home away from home. Here's to a wonderful, wonderful crowd, not one, but two crazy nights at the O2. And like I said, you won my heart. So we'll put one up for the boys in Russia right now. We shall return. Not now but next time, it's coming home. We love you England. Cheers!"

The previous night, Justin and his band The Tennessee Kids spurred on fans by joining in with chants of "It's coming home", taken from the 1996 soccer anthem "Three Lions" by The Lightning Seeds with comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner.

The Tennessee-born singer donned a Cockney accent to channel English football players Harry Kane and Harry Maguire and admitted he was "so hyped" for the semi-final match.

"Somebody told me the first time I came here that I became an honorary Brit so... It's - coming - home," the 37-year-old exclaimed to an adoring crowd.